pendletor



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. H. PENDLETON.

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

No. 387,992. Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

I. PETERS. Phnlblithognphcn Washington D. C.

20 jaws at opposite sides upon the cable.

UNITED STATES Parent tries.

JOHN ll. PENDLETON, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE RAPID TRANSIT YORK, N. Y.

)ABLE COMPANY, OF NEW GRlPPlNG DEVICE FOR CABLE RAILVVAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,992, dated August 14, 1888.

Application filed December 13, 1586.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1', JOHN H. PENDLETON, of Brooklyn, in the conntyof Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Gripping Devices for Cable Railways,of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to simplif'y the construction and render more relia- Die the operation of cable-grips containing grip-wheels as well as a rigid grip.

1 construct the apparatus in such a manner that by the simple operation of one lever the gripwvheels are brought into contact with the cable, and they revolve freely while the car remains stationary. A further pull upon the same lever applies friction to such wheels to check their rotation and cause the ear to be started, and a still further pull in the saniedirection upon the lever applies rigid gripping- \Vhen the lever is moved in the opposite direction, the rigid grip upon the cable is first liberated, and then the friction-brakes upon the wheels are liberated to allow the said wheels to revolve freely, and by a still further movement the gripwheels are opened to drop the cable.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the gripping devices and the means for supporting the same. Fig. 2 is a section at a: m, Fig. 1, through the center of the rigid grip, showing also the connections to the platform of the car. Fig. 3 is a section at y 1 Fig. 1, through the boxes of the grip-wheels, said grip-wheels being in elevation. Fig. 4 is a partial sectional plan below the line z 2, Fig. 2, of the gripwvheels and rigid grip, the latter being in section; and Fig. 5 is a modification of the lever and links shown in Fig. 2.

The frames A are pivoted at their ends to the cross-bars B, and these crossbars B are connected to the car or to the truck in any desired manner. I have represented the hanging brackets S as bolted to the under side of the car-frame, and having shafts 36 and cranks l8 and 6, and connecting-rods 40, similar to those shown in my application, Serial No. 218,032, filed November 5, 1886, by means of which the gripping mechanism may be maintained at the properhcight from the track regardless of the rising and falling of the car or Renewed June 13, 1888. Serial No. .ZTfiAlB-J.

(No model.)

platform, due to differences in the weight of the load carried; but my present improvements are not limited to any particular character of supporting mechanism.

The pivots that connect the frames A. to the crossbars B are preferablyin the form of bolts a, passing through the cross-bars and through the frames, and these frames are made with pendentjournal boxes b for the axles c of the grip-wheels S. Usually I employ four of these grip-wheels in pairs at opposite ends of the rigid grippingjaws S; but the number of these grip-wheels may be increased, if desired, or only one pair be made use of.

The rigid gripping-jaws S are preferably lined or faced with guttapcrcha or other material that will not injure the cable, as shown at e, and to each of the jaws S there is an arm, f, extending up to a cylinder or hub, f, around the axle-bolt a, so that the frames A, with their wheels S and the arms f and gripping-jaws S, can swing upon the respective pivot-bolts and be drawn toward or recede from each other.

There is a cross skeleton or spider fraine,D, between the pivot-bolts a, with. eyes at the ends of the frame, through which eyes these pivot-bolts a pass, and upon this frame Dthe lever H is pivoted, and from the upper end of which a rod or chain, H, passes to any suitalole device,by which the necessary power is applied to act upon said lever H. I have shown a chain from the end of this rod H around a pulley, H upon a standard upon the under side of the car, such chain being adapted to pass to a hand-Wheel, or to any automatic devices for acting upon the chain to give the necessary tension when the cable is to he gripped.

Between the lever H and the arnisf are the links I, pivoted or hinged to the respective parts,so that upon pulling upon the rod or chain H the lever H can be swung and the brakeblocks applied at opposite sides of the cable; but I apply the brake-bars L, with the brakeshoes L adjacent to the cylindrical portions n of the wheels S, and there are bolts 10 passing through the brake-bars L into the back portions of the respective grip-blocks, and there are springs p around the respective bolts 10, and acting to keep the brake-bars L toward or into contact with the outer portions of the grip-blocks S, and upon the brake-bars L are springs r, pressing against the pendent journal-boxes b, and there are loops 1 from the respective brake-shoes extending around the lower ends of the pendentjournal-boxes b and serving as guides to keep the respective parts in place. Vhen the parts are at rest and the respective springs expanded, the grip-wheels S will be adjacent to and usually in contact with the opposite sides of the cable B but the grip-blocks S will be at some distance from the cable. If, now, power is applied to the chain Hand the armsfare swung toward each other, the grippingfaces will not be brought against the cable, but the bolts p and springs p will act upon the brake-bars L and cause them to swing the frame A and grip-wheels S toward each other and more firmly grip the traction-cable, and as this movement continues the springs 1- will yield and allow the brake-shoes L to come directly and powerfully into contact with the cylindrical portion n of the grip-wheels S, and thereby lessen'the rotation of these wheels, under the action of the traveling cable,aud cause the car to be started gradually, and a further pull upon the rod H will increase the action of the wheels S in imparting to the car a movement received from the cable, because the greater friction applied to the wheels S will lessen their speed of rotation and cause the car to travel more rapidly, and the still further movement of the lever H will cause the springsp' to yield and allow the rigid clamping or gripping jaws S to come up at opposite sides of the cable and securely clamp the same and give to the car a motion corresponding to the speed of travel of the cable.

Upon liberating the lever H the movements of the parts will be in the reverse order, the

rigid gripwill release its hold upon the cable, but the springs 10 will still apply friction through the brake shoes L to the wheels S, and upon the further movement of the lever H the brake-shoes will be lifted off the wheels by the springs r, and the lever H may be moved still farther to separate the pairs of wheels S sufficiently to drop the cable.

Upon reference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the lever H may be bent or T-formed, so that the same will have a toggle action in applying the grip powerfully to the cable.

I do not limit myself to any specific means for acting upon the lever H, nor to the details ofconstruction by which the wheels and brakes are connected to the grip through the intervention of yielding springs, as these may be varied according to the car to which the grip is applied and according to the character of the grip-wheels.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a rigid grip and mechanism for moving the same, of gripwheels, pendent journal-boxes for the same, brakes for applying friction to the wheels, yielding connections between the grip and the brakes, and springs upon the brakes pressing upon the pendentjournal-boxes of the gripwheels, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,with the rigid gripping devices and the arms by which they are suspended, of pivot-bolts, a frame extending across between the pivotbolts, alever pivoted to the said frame, links between the lever and the gripping devices, supports for the pivotbolts, and a connection to the lever for moving the same, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination,with the gripping-jaws and the arms for suspending the same, of pivot-bolts passing through the arms, gripwheels, a separate pendent journal-box for suspending each grip-wheel from the pivotbolts, and mechanism, substantially as specified, for acting upon the gripping-wheels and jaws to grasp the traction-cable, substantially as specified.

4. The combination,with the grip-wheels S, of the brak e-bars L, the hanging journal-boxes b and frames A, the springs r, the loops r, and mechanism, substantially as specified, for acting upon the brake-beams L to move the grip-wheels toward the traction-cable and to apply friction to such grip-wheels, substantially as set forth.

5. The cross-bars B, cranks 18, shafts 36, and hanging standards S, and mechanism for moving such shafts and cranks, in combination with the pivot-bolts a, passing through the cross-bars B, the frames A, journal-boxes and grip-wheels S, the grip-jaws S and their suspending-arms to the pivot-bolts, the frame D, extending across between the pivot-bolts,-the lever H, links I, and brake-bars L, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 11th day of December, 1886.

J. H. PENDLETON.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINOKNEY, WILLIAM G. MOTT. 

